Apple recently removed a Hong Kong protest app from the App Store, saying that it encouraged users to break the law. The question on everyone’s mind is: Did Apple do so by itself, or did the Chinese government ask/force Apple?
HKMap Live
The developers tweeted a response from Apple’s review team:
HKMap Live lets protesters track police activity in Hong Kong. Sound familiar? The developers pointed out that popular app Waze does something similar: It alerts drivers of police speed traps so they can be avoided. Does that mean Waze encourages illegal activity like speeding? If so, why hasn’t Apple removed it? It’s certainly a nuanced issue, and we’ll see if the ban remains or if Apple back tracks.
Further Reading: